Single handle faucet valve



United States Patent Inventor Dennis J. l-layman East Detroit, MichiganAppl. No. 722,768 Filed April 19, 1968 Patented Dec. 1, 1970 Assigneellydrometals Inc.

Dallas, Texas a corporation of Illinois. by mesne assignments SINGLEHANDLE FAUCET VALVE 8 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 137/6362 l37/625. l 7; 25 l/l74 Int. Cl .i Fl6k 11/00 Fieldol'Search l37/625rl7,

625.4: 636.3. 636.2, 636.4; 25 Ill 74 References Cited UNITED STATESPATENTS 2,977,986 4/1961 Hinderer et al 3,035,612 5/l962 Lyon i3,324,884 6/1967 Dornaus.. 3,372,710 3/1968 Miller 3,384,119 5/1968Manoogian Primary ExaminerWilliam R. Cline Altomey wofford and Felsmancap member threaded onto the body.

Patented Dec. 1, 1970 Sheet BY M wfi w ATTORNEYS Patented 'Dec. 1, 1970Sheet ,4 fro/PMS rs SINGLE HANDLE F AUCET VALVE This invention relatesto single handle faucet valves.

In the copending U.S. Pat. applications of Larry J. Miller, Ser. No.537,257, filed March l7, 1966, now US. Pat. No. 3,372,7l and Larry J.Miller and Dennis J. Hayman, Ser. No. 573.60l, filed Aug. 19, 1966, nowabandoned, there are disclosed and claimed single handle faucet valvesof a novel design.

Among the objects of this invention are to provide an improved singlehandle faucet valve of the type shown in the aforementioned patentapplications which is capable of being manipulated readily to turn thewater on or off and to control the mixture of hot and cold water that isprovided; which is capable of long life; which is relatively free ofmaintenance; and which can be readily assembled and disassembled.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view through a valve embodying theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 2-2 in FIG.1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 in FIG.1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 4-4 in FIG.1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 5-5 inFIG.1.-

FIGS. 6-9 are partly diagrammatic views showing the relative positionsof the parts at different settings.

Referring to FIG. 1, the faucet valve embodying the invention is adaptedto be used with various spout configurations including the type shown inFIG. I wherein a spout 10 has a sleeve or cylinder 11 attached theretoand rotatably mounted on the single handle faucet valve.

The single handle faucet valve comprises a body 13 that is formed with acylindrical chamber or opening 14 that opens upwardly to the upper endofthe body. The bottom surface 15 ofthe chamber 14 is substantially flatand inlet passages 16, 17 extend upwardly from the bottom of the bodythrough the surface 15. Hot and cold water, respectively, are suppliedto the passages 16, 17 through inlet pipes 18, 19 which are swaged orotherwise provided in the openings.

A control disc 20, which is preferably made ofa low friction plasticmaterial that is rigid, nondeformable and resistant to hot water, suchas Delrin, is provided in the chamber 14. Control disc 20 is formed witha substantially flat bottom surface 21 that may engage the flat surface15 of the chamber 14. The disc 20 is provided with noncircular openings22, 23 that are adapted to be moved into registry with the upper ends ofopenings 16, 17 as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the disc 20 isgenerally triangular in shape and the sides thereof are convex.

A sealing member 25 is provided in the upper end of chamber 14 and has aperipheral circular groove 26 in which an O-ring 27 of resilientmaterial such as synthetic rubber is provided to form a seal with thewall of the chamber 14. The upper'end of sealing member 25 is providedwith radially extending diametrically opposed projections 28 that extendinto complementary depressions 29 in the upper end of the body 13 andthereby prevent rotation of the sealing member 25 relative to the body13. A retaining member 30 of low friction material similar to thematerial of which the sealing member 25 is made is provided on the upperend of the body. Sealing member 25 and retaining member 30 havespherical seats 31, 32, respectively. which engage a spherical member33, preferably of material that is dissimilar to that of members 25, 30such as brass, that is fixed intermediate the ends of an operating lever34. The retaining member 30 is urged downwardly against the sphericalmember 33 by a cap 35 that is threaded on the upper end of the body 13.An adjusting ring 36 is threaded in an opening in the upper end of thecap 35 and engages a shoulder 37 on the retaining member 30. The forceof the retaining member 30 on the spherical member 33 and, in turn, thesealing member 25 urges the sealing member 25 downwardly against anO-ring 38 that is provided in a groove 39 in the upper end of thecontrol disc 20 thereby yieldingly urging the control disc 20 downwardlytoward the flat surface 15 of the chamber 14. By this arrangement. watermay flow upwardly into chamber 40 but is prevented by O ring 38 andO-ring 27 from moving upwardly and outwardly of the body 13.

Spherical member 33 has outwardly extending diametrical projections 330which extend into slots formed by alined grooves 33b. 330 in theretaining member 30 and sealing member 25. By this arrangement, themovement of the lever 34 laterally as viewed in FIG. I is limited to asingle vertical plane. This, in turn, limits the resultant movementofthe control disc 20. Y

The upper ends 41, 42 of the inlet passages 16, 17 are enlarged toreceive annular sealing members 43 of rubber or other suitable resilientmaterial to provide a seal with the undersurface 21 of the control disc20. In order to insure this seal, coil springs 44 are compressed betweenshoulders 45. 46 of the body and shoulders on the sealing rings 43. Inaddition. to insure that water will not seep between the surfaces of theenlarged openings 41, 42 and the respective sealing members 43, thelower end of each sealing member 43 has a'bead 47 on the outer surfacethereof integral with the member to provide a secondary seal in thenature ofan O-ring seal.

As shown in FIGS. I and 2, an interconnecting member 50 oflow frictionmaterial such as Delrin is fixed on the lower end of the lever 34 as bypress fitting the member on a noncircular portion of the lever hereinshown as having a D cross section. The spherical member 50 has a D crosssection andengages D-shaped opening 51 in the upper end of the controldisc 20 which has a complementary D cross section and vertical sidewalls. By this arrangement, oscillation of the control lever 34 willtranslatethe control disc 20 along surface 15 without losing the sealingengagement of the control disc 20 with the surface 15.

The lever 34 is substantially circular in cross section and extendsupwardly through an opening in the sealing disc 25 and through anintermediate opening 52 in the retaining member 30. The opening 52 has agenerally triangular shape as shown in FIG. 5 and the sidesof theopening are engaged by the lever 34 to confine the movement of the leverto a generally triangular area.

A knob 55 is fixed on the upper end ofthe lever 34 by a set screw 66which is threaded into knob 55 (FIG. 4).

Retaining member 30 has a noncircular cross section and extendsdownwardly to a complementary opening in the upper end ofthe sealingmember 25.

By the above arrangement, swinging of the lever laterally in the singleplane controlled by the projections 33:: and slots 33b, 33c causes thecontrol disc 20 to move to the right or left as viewed in FIGS. 6-9. Byswinging the lever 34 fore and aft as viewed in FIG. 1, the control disc20 is moved up and down as viewed in FIGS. 6-9.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the off position, the control disc 20 is inposition so that the openings 22, 23 are out of communication with theinlets 16, 17. As the lever 34 is swung to move the control disc 20downwardly, the openings 22, 23 are broughtinto communication with theinlets 16, 17. By swinging the lever 34 to the right or left, the degreeof registry of the openings 22, 23 with the inlets 16, 17 is controlled.Thus, in FIG. 7 equal amounts of hot and cold water are permitted toflow through the inlets l6, 17. As shown in FIG. 8, substantially nowater flows through inlet 17 whereas substantially all the water flowsthrough inlet 16. As shown in FIG. 9, substantially no water flowsthrough inlet 16 and substantially all the water flows through inlet 17.

By swinging the control knob 55 and. in turn the lever 34. the openings22, 23 in the control disc are moved from positions in registry with theinlets 16, 17 to positions out of registry thereby controlling the totalamount of water flowing through the inlets into the chamber or space 40.

By swinging the lever back and forth, the extent of communication orregistry of the openings 22, 23 with the passages l6, 17 is controlled.Thus, by moving the lever to the left or counterclockwise as shown inHO. 1, substantially the entire opening 22 may be brought into registrywith the inlet passage 16 and the opening 23 moved out of registry withthe inlet 17 so that only hot water will flow.

The area 40 communicates through a passage 61 in the body with theinterior spout 10. A seal is provided between the body 13 and sleeve 11of the spout by O-rings 62, 63, 64.

In accordance with well-known faucet valve construction, suitable meansmay be provided on the end of the spoutto return the water through atube 65 into an annular passage 66 in the body 13 and downwardly throughan outlet 67 and, in turn, a rinse tube. (not shown).

I claim:

1. ln a'single handle faucet valve. the combination comprisa. meansdefining a chamber having a substantially flat wall surface along onewall;

b. hot and cold water inlets extending through said surface to saidchamber;

a control disc having a complementary flat surface with spaced openingstherein movable into and out of registry with said inlets;

. a sealing member spaced from said substantially flat wall surface,with sealing means interposed between said sealing member and controldisc providing a seal therebetween;

. a lever having a spherical member fixed thereon intermediate the leverlength with the lever having a longitudinal axis coincident with adiameter of said spherical member; said sealing member having acomplementary spherical surface on the upper end thereof which isengaged by said spherical member;

. a retaining member ha-vinga complementary spherical surface engagingsaid spherical member;

means for urging said retaining member against said sphere and, in turn,urging said sphere against said sealing member, whereby said lever isjournaled on said sealing member; v

. interengaging means on said sphere and said sealing member and saidretaining member for guiding said lever so as to confine 'said leverlongitudinal axis to rectilinear swinging movement about the center ofsaid sphere in directions parallel and normal to the plane of symmetrywhich is normal 'to said control disc complementary flat surface andbisects said control disc and is perpendicular to a line passing throughthe centers of the control disc spaced openings; and

j. means interconnecting one end of said lever with said control discsuch that swinging of said lever moves said control disc so that thecenters of said control disc spaced openings are confined to rectilinearmovement parallel to and normal to said plane of symmetry.

2. The single handle faucet valve as set forth by claim 1, wherein thereis additionally provided limiting means engageable with saidlever'outwardly of said spherical member for limiting movement thereofwithin a substantially triangular area.

3. The single handle faucet valve as set forth by claim 2,

wherein said limiting means comprises a recess in said retainer memberthrough which said lever extends.

4. The single handle faucet valve as set forth by claim 3, wherein saidrecess is substantially triangular in transverse section and comprisesinwardly converging sidewalls such that a peripheral bearing surface ofsaid lever extending longitudinally thereof will be substantiallycontiguous with a sidewall portion when abutting same. i

5. In a single handle faucet valve, the combination comprisa. meansdefining a chamber having a substantially flat wall surface along onewall; b. hot and cold water inlets extending through said surface tosaid chamber; c. a control dlSC having a complementary flat surface withspaced openings therein movable into and out of registry with saidinlets;

d. a sealing member spaced from said substantially flat wall surface,with sealing mea'ns interposed between said sealing member and controldisc providing a seal therebetween;

e. a lever having a spherical member fixed thereon intermediate thelever length, with the lever having a longitudinal axis coincident witha diameter of said spherical member;

f. said sealing member having a complementary spherical surface of theupper end thereof which is engaged by said spherical member;

g. a retaining member having a complementary spherical surface engagingsaid spherical member;

h. means for urging said retaining member against said sphere and, inturn, urging said sphere against said sealing member, whereby said leveris journaled on said sealing member;

i. interengaging means on said sphere and said sealing member and'saidretaining member for guiding said lever so as to confine said leverlongitudinal axis to rectilinear swinging movement about the center ofsaid sphere in directions parallel and normal to the plane of symmetrywhich is normal to said control disc complementary flat I surface andbisects said control disc and is perpendicular to a line passing throughthe centers of the control disc spaced openings, said interengagingmeans comprising projections extending radially from said sphericalmember transversely of said lever longitudinal axis and complementaryslots in said sealing member and retaining member for receiving eachsaid projection, said slots confining said spherical member to rotationabout the axis of said projections and said projections to limitedswinging motion such that their axis is movable only in a planecontaining same and normal to said control disc complementary flatsurface; and

j. means interconnecting one end of said lever with said control discsuch that swinging of said lever moves said con trol disc so that thecenters of said control disc spaced openings are confined to rectilinearmovement parallel to and normal to said plane of symmetry.

6. The single handle faucet valve as set forth by claim 5,

wherein there is additionally provided limiting means engage able withsaid lever outwardly of said spherical member for limiting movementthereof within a substantially triangular area.

7. The single handle faucet valve as set forth by claim 6, wherein saidlimiting means comprises a recess in said retainer member through whichsaid lever extends.

8. The single handle faucet valve as set forth by claim 7. wherein saidrecess is substantially triangular in transverse section and comprisesinwardly converging sidewalls such that a peripheral bearing surface ofsaid lever extending longitudinally thereof will be substantiallycontiguous with a sidewall portion when abutting same.

